Mistake
by saxgirl42
Summary: Anakin hadn't meant to hurt his master, but there was no way to take it back now. Part Three of "Masters and Padawans".


_**Author's Note:**__ Well, here it is - another installment of "Masters and Padawans". I had originally intended for these to feature more characters than just Anakin and Obi-Wan, but here they are again. I can't help it - they're so fun to write!_

_I hope you enjoy this one! Please leave some feedback! Thanks!_

XxX

Mistake

"So where are we going again?" Anakin asked, stretching his long legs out in the cockpit of the Jedi Starfighter. His master flashed him an impatient look from over the datapad he was perusing.

"Naboo. I need to speak with the Chancellor about some matters concerning the Council," Obi-Wan said. Anakin tensed noticeably at the mention of the Chancellor, but attempted to gloss it over with a casual stretch of his arms.

"The Chancellor, eh? Will we get to see Padme?" he asked, still feigning nonchalance. Obi-Wan smirked; he could see through his padawan's act in a second.

"No, my love-lorn padawan, she is at a convention on Coruscant. No need to get nervous this time," he said. Anakin glared at him and finally sat up straight in his chair.

"I wasn't nervous the _last_ time," he retorted, slightly stung. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, going back to his datapad.

"Right." Anakin made a face but did not prolong the argument. Instead he heaved a large sigh and rubbed his hands on his thighs, looking impatient.

"Doesn't it seem cold to you?" he asked after a moment. Obi-Wan frowned slightly, not looking up from the datapad.

"No, but there are some extra cloaks in my pack if you need one," he said distractedly. Anakin rose and went to the storage hold, digging around for the cloaks. He pulled out a dark brown one and slipped it on, pulling it in tightly around his shoulders.

It had been a while since master and padawan had gone on an ambassador mission for the Jedi Council, and it felt strange to Anakin that he had nothing to prepare for. No last-minute lightsaber exercises, no combat drills to go over in his mind, nothing to worry about. Strange, but somewhat nice.

Anakin sat back down across from Obi-Wan and watched his master read, letting his mind wander.

He had not seen Padme in over three months. He pictured her now in his mind: long dark hair curling in ringlets down her back, wearing the over-the-top but beautiful regalia that was suited to a woman of her stature, her face covered in make-up but still bearing that secret smile she seemed to reserve just for Anakin. It took all of his power not to sigh wistfully at the wonderful thought of seeing her again.

Anakin was jolted from his thoughts when Obi-Wan rose gracefully, turning the datapad off and stretching the kinks out of his back.

"We're about five minutes away from Naboo," he told his padawan as he headed off for the cockpit. Anakin finally allowed himself a sigh and stood, still clutching his master's dark brown cloak around himself. He breathed in deeply and smiled; the cloak smelled exactly like Obi-Wan. He smelled it one more time, then made his way toward the small storage hold to fetch the bags.

XxX

"Chancellor." Obi-Wan greeted Palpatine with a smile and a bow, and Anakin quickly followed suit, although it felt strange to be so respectful to one he counted as a friend.

They were in one of the smaller conference chambers in the palace on Naboo. The room was bright and naturally lit, and sparsely furnished. Palpatine himself sat in a dark, high-backed chair behind a desk at the head of the room. He returned Obi-Wan's smile and gestured for him and Anakin to sit in the two chairs before him.

"Now, Yoda told me that you have had problems controlling the Outer Rim lately," Palpatine stated, straight to business as always. He shuffled some papers on his desk, set them aside, and met Obi-Wan's gaze directly. "I assume this means you are in need of either assistance or counsel?" Obi-Wan smiled grimly.

"You assume correctly, Chancellor. We have been having issues with the Hutts, in particular," he said. Palpatine nodded sagely.

"Yes, the Hutts have been problematic in the past. I had an idea on that subject, and I called you here so I could voice it in person." Palpatine stood and began to pace behind his desk, hands folded behind him.

"The Hutts," he began, "have been ruled by feuding clans and criminal syndicates for far too long. They are too dangerous. They grow far too powerful living their lives of crime. If we are to have a peaceful galaxy, then the problems in the Hutt Space must be addressed, and they must be addressed _quickly_."

Anakin shot a glance at Obi-Wan and was not surprised to see the older man frowning.

"The only way to deal with criminals is with power," the Chancellor continued, barely even paying attention to the two Jedi. "The Jedi _have_ power, and we could use that power to take care of this issue. The Galactic Republic will be cleansed by the blade of a lightsaber, because _that_ is what the scum in the Hutt Space will listen to. Not words, not even bribes or blackmail. But _power_." Palpatine slammed a fist into his desk on the last word, making Anakin jump, but Obi-Wan was completely unfazed.

"What exactly are you asking us to do?" he asked. Palpatine met his gaze over the desk.

"Whatever might be necessary." Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed.

"The Jedi are happy enough to keep peace, Chancellor," he said calmly. "But what you are speaking of sounds like the beginning of a war." Anakin glanced at his master again and was startled to see the fury in his gray-blue eyes.

"But maybe that is all it will take!" Palpatine exclaimed, now sounding almost crazed. "Just the threat of war, maybe one significant loss for the Hutts, and they will know the Senate is serious!"

"Listen to what you are saying, Chancellor," Obi-Wan said, his voice still soft, but Anakin could hear the anger bubbling beneath the surface. "Are you really that desperate? Even now, when there are much larger problems surfacing all over the galaxy?"

"We need to start somewhere, Master Kenobi," the Chancellor said, starting to lose some of his enthusiasm. Anakin began to feel uncomfortable; he could tell that Palpatine's excitement was being replaced with the same kind of anger that simmered beneath his master's cool exterior, but did not think the Chancellor could conceal it as well as Obi-Wan.

"Of course, but should we really start with the threat of war? Or with an assassination?" Obi-Wan retorted. Anakin winced at the sharpness of his tone. Palpatine glared.

"Are you insinuating that I do not know the best path to take?" he asked, his voice dripping with venom.

"At the moment, yes. Something has disturbed you, Chancellor, and I fear it is not allowing you to think rationally."

There was a moment of silence then. Palpatine seated himself once more and fixed a small pile of papers that had been disturbed in his moment of passion.

"I ask for the Jedi to think about it, then. That is all. Make no move until the entire Council is decided," he said at last. Obi-Wan nodded curtly and rose to his feet, grabbing Anakin's arm and dragging him up, as well.

"I will tell the Council your plan," he said, "but do not hope it will come to pass." With that, he turned on his heel and left the room, leaving a rather stunned Anakin in his wake.

Anakin smiled apologetically at Palpatine, who returned the smile weakly and waved him away. Anakin hurried to catch up with his master.

XxX

Obi-Wan stormed into their rooms in a rage Anakin had not seen for a very long time. He was sure that if the door had not been automatic, his master would have slammed it behind him.

"Ridiculous," Obi-Wan muttered, sweeping his cloak from his shoulders and tossing it onto the nearby couch. "Absolutely ridiculous. What is he thinking?"

"Maybe he's just trying to protect his people. The Hutts do pose a threat, Master," Anakin said quietly, trying to defend his friend at least a bit. Obi-Wan spun on him.

"Protect his people?" he demanded. "With a _war_? Even to your young mind, padawan, that cannot sound rational."

"My 'young mind' thinks that he might be desperate," Anakin shot back, beginning to feel an anger of his own boiling in his gut. "He would try anything to protect his people. Doesn't that make him noble?" Obi-Wan snorted.

"Yes, noble," he said sarcastically. "Noble in the sense that he would completely forget what the Jedi order stands for and stoop to use us as hitmen. _Hitmen_, Anakin!"

"What good is the Jedi order if we do nothing but stand by and let crime rule our galaxy, even if it is only in the Outer Rim?"

"You think we do nothing?"

"We could do _this_!" Anakin retorted. Obi-Wan groaned.

"My very young padawan, we are Jedi. We keep peace and order. And if that requires a lightsaber, fine, but we do not instigate wars!" Anakin bristled.

"Stop calling me young. I am almost seventeen, Master, and -"

"But you _are_ young, Anakin. Listen to yourself."

"I am listening! And I think I, and the Chancellor, speak within reason! Why not use our power to help rid the galaxy of crime?" Anakin could feel the rage boiling even more now, and knew pretty soon things could get dangerous if he did not rein himself in.

"Chancellor Palpatine was speaking out of desperation, perhaps, but that does not make him right," Obi-Wan said, moving over to the window and sliding it open. Anakin had not even noticed how warm the room had grown since the two of them had entered.

"But Master -"

"Don't, Anakin. Please stop arguing with me about this."

"No!" Anakin burst, suddenly feeling for some reason like this was personal. Obi-Wan was always trying to silence him, trying to keep him from saying what he wanted to say. "No, I want you to listen to me!"

Obi-Wan faced his padawan with a glare.

"The subject is closed, Anakin. There is nothing more to say."

"You always do this!" Anakin cried. Inside, he had no idea where all the rage was coming from. It felt too hot, too fierce, to be anything he had ever felt before. He knew he should stop, but how could he now? The flames burned with an intensity all of their own.

Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Anakin -"

"SHUT-UP!" Anakin yelled, finally so furious that he felt himself lash out with the Force. A wave of power shot through the room, aimed at his master. It shattered a mirror that had been hanging on the wall, and a glass vase decorated with red flowers. Obi-Wan barely had time to shield himself before the onslaught of power and shards of glass hit him.

Silence followed.

XxX

Far below, still in the conference room, Palpatine felt the rush of Force and knew his planted seed of fury had finally been unleashed. He smiled darkly to himself and went back to the papers on his desk.

The transformation had begun.

XxX

Anakin gaped, stunned and horrified beyond belief. He had had problems with his temper before, but never like this. He raised a shaking hand toward Obi-Wan, who was still in a defensive position, arms raised to protect his neck and face. Small shards of glass had embedded themselves in the fabric of his tunic.

"Master…" Anakin said softly. Obi-Wan lowered his arms slowly, and Anakin saw a thin trail of blood running down the side of his face, originating from a small gash on his forehead. Anakin's voice caught in his throat. "Master, I…" He stopped, petrified, as Obi-Wan's gray-blue eyes flashed dangerously.

Anakin had never before been so afraid of him.

Obi-Wan brushed the small glass shards from his sleeves and strode past Anakin toward the door. Anakin watched him go but could not find the strength to speak through the lump in his throat. It was only when the door had slid shut behind Obi-Wan's back that he found himself able to form words.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Of course, there was no reply.

Anakin crumpled into a chair, his heart sinking. He rested his head in his hands and shut his eyes tightly, trying to dash all remnants of anger from his thoughts. But no matter how hard he tried, all he could see was his master's deadly glare.

And something in those eyes told him this was the beginning of the end.


End file.
